


Too Stubborn to Die

by ladykarasu



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett, One Piece
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-02
Updated: 2011-11-02
Packaged: 2017-10-25 15:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladykarasu/pseuds/ladykarasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoro has had enough near misses to be familiar with Death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Stubborn to Die

A dark, imposing figure suddenly loomed over the injured man, studying the impressive wounds on his chest. Zoro tensed for a moment, before he recognized the company, and leaned back again.

“Oh… it’s you…”

YES. IT IS ME.

“Chopper…" The swordsman panted slightly, pacing himself and trying to speak around what he was pretty sure was a quickly filling lung. "..on his way?”

I BELIEVE SO.

“Huh… He’ll be... pissed.”

YES. WELL, YOU DID WELL TO MISS THE HEART.

Zoro chuckled, ending up in a wet, hacking cough that took a few long moments to stop.

“So… How’s the… family?”

Brilliant blue dimmed a moment in thought, then focused on the dying man once more.

SUSAN IS DOING… WELL.

“Still… avoiding you… or has she… gotten over… it yet?”

SHE IS SOMEWHAT MORE REASONABLE, LATELY. SHE MAY HAVE ALLUDED TO VISITING.

“That’s… good. Family… is… important.”

“Zoro!” A familiar panicked voice called from an intersecting street. “Oh my god, Zoro! Chopper, he’s over here!”

“Ah… that would be us… then…”

MOST LIKELY.

“Guess… I’ll see you… again sometime… soon, then…”

INDEED.

“Well… take care of… yourself…”

I DO NOT NEED… OH. YES. YOU AS WELL.

Zoro grinned at the general area he thought the form still was. It was hard to tell with his vision fading, but he was pretty sure he’s wake up again, so he wasn’t that worried about it.

OH. YOU MAY WANT TO BE CAREFUL FOR A TIME. CERTAIN FORCES MAY BE ‘OUT TO GET YOU’.

“Oh? Would… I notice… a difference?”

PERHAPS NOT.

The swordsman made a sound of acknowledgement, and let it rest. After a moment the other continued, somewhat reflectively.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE, YOU ARE SIMPLY AMAZINGLY STUBBORN.

“Ah… Sorry… about that…?”

NO, IT IS FINE. IT IS NICE TO VISIT WITHOUT HAVING TO CONDUCT BUSINESS NOW AND THEN.

Shortly thereafter, Chopper would wonder why he found Zoro – clinging to consciousness and barely able to breathe – laughing his head off.

 

-Elsewhere-

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE AUDITORS HAVE TAKEN AN INTEREST.

Bony fingers turned the hourglass again, watching the grains flow against gravity. The glass, marked RORONOA ZORO had been down to the last few grains more than once, before the sand stopped, reversed its flow, and refilled a portion if the upper bulb. He would have expected them to have more of a problem with the owner of the hourglass that had simply stopped.

He replaced it on the shelf, then after a pause, picked it up again- then turned it, and replaced it again. His hand hovered for a moment.

HMM. I APPEAR TO HAVE MISPLACED THE TOP... ALBERT, DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH END IS ‘UP’?

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Livejournal 5/9/2011


End file.
